Improvement in dry gas-meters



vof the meters.

UNITED STATES PATENT EETCE.

JOSEPH E. FISK, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPRVEMENT IN DRY vGAS-IVIETERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,678, dated March 18, 1862.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, .IosEPH E. FIsK, of Salem, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gas-Meters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being' had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved gas-meter. Fig. 2 is a front view of one of the diaphragm-pistons detached from the meter. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the meter in the line .fr a: of Fig. 1, looking downward. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the meter in the vline y y, looking upward. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section in the line w w of Fig. l, looking downward. Fig. 6 is another horizontal section in the line w w of Fig. 1, showinga modification of the arrangement of tubes for conveying the gas into the'diaphragm-chambers Figs. 7, 8, 9, and l() are views of the valve and its seat detached from the meter.

The same letters oi reference in each of the several figures indicate corresponding parts.

The nature of my invention consists, rst, in the use of rods which swing or vibrate on axial joints in the path of a vertical circle for transmitting the motion of the diaphragmpistons to the registering mechanism; second, the combination of a detachable gas valve chest which has not a removable top with the diaphragm-chambers and the register gearchamber in such manner that ready access to-r the valve is allowed, and that while the gas has every freedom to circulate under and above the valve and in and out of the diaphragmchambers it is excluded from the gearingchamber, and thus the deposit of clogging matter upon the gearing prevented; third, the combination, with the valve operating as hereinafter described, of the vibrating rods and connecting-arms of the crank-shaft auddiaphragms; fourth, in inclosing the joint between the diaphragm-rods and the top of the diaphragm chambers by means of flexible sleeves; fifth, in attaching the vibrating rod to the upper shield of the diaphragm and directly to the other three shields bymeans of a cross formed at the lower angular termination of the rod and by connecting-links; sixth, in

the thimble-so'cket and rocking journals of the diaphragm rod for supporting the diaphragme and allowing the rod to vibrate in the proper direction.

To enable others skilled in the art to maltel and use my invention, I will proceed to de scribe its construction and operation.

A is a cylindrical case of a gas-meter divided vertically by three radial partitions, B B B, and three xed diaphragm-pistons, C C C, into six gas-chambers, F F' F2 Fa F4 F5, and by a horizontal partition, D, into an upper and lower compartment.

The construction and relative disposition of the diaphragm-pistons, and also of the interior of the meter-case, are substantially the same as that of many dry meters in usethat is, so far as the central tube, H, the radial partitions, and the horizontal partition are concerned.

The lower end of each one of the rods'I I I of the diaphragm-pistons is bent outward and terminates in a cross, c, and attaches above the cross directly to the upper shield, d, ot' the diaphragm, and indirectly, at the extremities of the cross, through horizontal links e c @,to the other three shields, d d d3, as shown.

The rods I. extend up from the center ofthe width and length of the diaphragm-pistons through the horizontal partition D and terminate near the top of the register-gear chamber E, and just above the partition D each rod is hung by means of horizontaljournals ff in a thimble-socket, g, so as to be capable ot' vibrating in the path of a vertical circle. Each of the joints thus formed is in'closed or sealed by means of a flexible sleeve, J, which is of a taper tubular shape and made of leather or rubber, and extends down from near the top of the rod and encircles the thimble-socket. The rods thus attached and arranged are connected at their upper ends by means of horizontal arms K K K, which meet over the center of the meter and attach loosely to the crankpin h of the vertical double-crank shaft L, that actuates the gas-valve M, and also transmits the motion of the flexible portion of the diaphragms to the registering-gear by means of a worm-thread, e', on its circumference, and a screw-wheel, j, on the shaft j', leading to said registering-gear.

vThe gas-valve M is of hexagon shape, and

has a hcxagonshapcd chamber', la, to allow the measured gas toescapc, in its under side, said chamber being inclosed by a narrow hexagonshaped rim, M'. It also has a central step or socket, Z, in its back to receive the lower crankpin, h', of the crank-shaft L. It works in a peculiar manner, hereinafter described, on a hexagon seat, N, which is arranged in the center ofthe diaphragm. This seat is furnished in this instance with six gas-ports, m -mn m m m, said ports being arranged round a central heXagon-shaped orifice, I), which terl minates in a circle and connects with the eentraldischarge-tube, H, of the meter. Atene end of the seat and outside of the boundary line of the working-surface thereof a rightangle inlet-passage, C', isformed, said passage leading horizontally and 4vertically through the seat into a detachable gas-chest, D. The ports of the seat lead into the diapragm-chambers, three by means of curved passages I I I', and three by means of pipes I2 12 I2, as shown.

The valve M in working over the seat incloses the whole of one port, about twothirds of another, and about onethird of another, andleaves fully open one port, abouttWo-thirds of another, and about one-third of another. Open guides K K at opposite corners of the valve, and other open guides, K2 K2, set at right angles to K K, and on the inner sides of the gaschest, in combination with a cross, K, which consists of four arms branching out from a central ring, insure the proper .relative position of the valve to the gas-ports of the seatwhen the valve is operating.

The gas-chest D has a permanently-itted top, and at opposite ends and from the base of this chest ears n n project horizontally, said ears resting upon extensions of the valve seat, and are 4fastened thereto by means of vscrews f f. By this arrangement of the gas-chest it can be readily removed and access to both the valve and the seat thus secured. There also extends up from the center of the gas-chest a vertical stuffing-box, o, said stuffing-box leading out of the gas-chamber of the chest. Down through this stuffing-box and the ring-center y of the cross K the double-crank shaft L eX- tends, and by its crank-pin It connects to the valve M, said pin entering the step or socket Z, as shown.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that if the valve M occupies the position shown in Fig. 5 `the gas will when let on"7 ow into the gas-chest through the passage C', and therefrom, through theports m'm m2, pass into three of the diaphragmchambers-that is, to the full capacity of the port m, about two-thirds the capacity of the port m",and about one-third the capacity of the port z2-and thus through the motion imparted to the diaphragms and the intermediate connections set the valve in motion. The valve, being set in motion in the direction of the arrow 1, is caused to work eccentrically by the crank or eccentric h on its seat, and

ing-surface describes small circles, the radii of which are equal to the radius of the crank or eccentric h', which radius is about equal to` the width of the ports, and thus every part of the working-surface ofthe valve and seat will wear uniformly and the sedimentary deposits be swept into the discharge-tube II of the meter.

In the movements of the valve the ports m m n m3 m4 m5 are successively opened fully to the inilowing gas; but when the portmis full open to the inliowing gas and'introducing the gas into the inner diaphragm-chamber, F, the port m3 is fully open to theoutlowing gas of the outer diaphragm-chamber, F, and when port m is open to the infiowing gas and introducing the same into the outer diaphragmchamber, F', port m4 is open to the outtiowing gas of the inner diaphragm-chamber, F2, and when port m2 is open tothe iniiowing gas and introducing gas into the outer diaphragmchamber, F4, port mi is open to the outtlowing gas of the inner diaphragm-chamber, F5, and vice versa, as respects the entrance and exit of the gas to and from the diaphragm-chambers when the ports m3 m71 m5 are fully open to the infiowing gas. The gas, of course, in discharging from the diaphragm chambers circulates in the chamber 7c in the under side of thevalve, and then descends through the central discharge orifice, Z, and passes oft through the pipe H, as indicated by the arrows 2 and 3.

If the plan of pipes I2 for introducing the gas into the diaphragm-chambers shown in Fig. 6 be adopted, thegas will descend directly from the ports m2 m3 m5 into the inner diaphragmchambers and the curved directors be dispensed with.-

It is very essential to have the rods vibrate as I have shown, as the meter is thereby greatly simplified, one vibrating rod answering the purpose of two rods arranged in the ordinary manner.

Although I prefer to use but one vibrating rod in the manner shown, two rods vibrating l in the path of a vertical circle might be used.

I do not claim in this patent the combination of motions specified in the valve, as the same is claimed in another application for Letters Patent by myself, bearing even date with this application.l For the same reason I' do not claim in this patent the means shown for producing said combination of motions in the valve, nor the construction ot' the valve and its seat; but

Vhat I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters- Patent, is-

1. The vertically-vibrating rod or rods I, in combination with the diaphragm or diaphragms ot' a gas-meter, for the purpose set forth.

2. 'Ihc detachable gas-valve chest D', constructed as described, injcombination with the diaphragm chambers and the gearingchamber, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a valve, M, operated substantially as herein described, of the vibrating rods'I of the diaphragme and the connecting-arms K of the crank-shaft L, for the purpose set forth.

4. The flexible sleeves J ,substantiail y asand for the purpose set forth.

5. Attaching the diaphragm C to the Vertieally-vibrating rod I by means of 'the cross c on the end ofthe rod and the connecting-links e e e e, in the manner and for the purpose described.

6. The thimble-socket g and rocking journaief of the vibrating rod forsupporting the diaphragms and allowing the rod to vibrate, substantially as described.

. JOSEPH E. EISK.' Witnesses:

GUsTAVUs DIETERICH, R. L. CoBBs. 

